System of and means for raising submerged vessels



June 21, 1932. s. SCHWAGER SYSTEM OF AND MEANS FOR RAISING SUBMERGED VESSELS Filed April l0, 1931 //v VENTO/E 5EBA$TMN56WWA65 AT'mE/YEY. v

Patented June 2 1, 1932 UNITED STATES SEBASTIAN SCHWAGER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SYSTEM or AND MEANS For. Raisins SUBMERG-ED vEss nLs' Application filed April 10,

My invention relates to an improved system of and means for raising submerged vessels of different kinds, by the use of 'c0llapsible air bags which may be placed to advantage between the decks of the submerged vessel by divers, and above the submerged vessel if desired, together with means for controlling the inflation of said air bags after being secured in place, so that different ones of said bags may receive airsupply in it v desired amounts and 111 desired sequence, to

most effectively develop the lifting force required to raise the submerged hull. By my invention I also provide an improved conm struction of air bag for this purpose, and I also provide improved devices for holding the hull being raised, in upright position,

so that it may be brought to the surface of the .water by the inflated air bags without danger of turning over, and in a position to permit moving the raised hull to a repair dock with the certainty that theyhull will remain in upright position and not cause trouble through turning over. 7

My invention willbest be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a submerged hull with my improved apparatus placed therein andthereon, together with controlling mechanism for supplying the air as desired to different ones ofthe air bags for purposes of inflation,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a part of a hull with one of my improved inflatable air bags usedto temporarily closea collision opening in the hull,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the'air u, bags shown in Fig.1, to anenlarged scale,

taken alongthe line 33,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view-to an enlarged scale of apart of the devices'shown in Fig.

1 taken along the line 4-4,

1 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view through a check valve construction preferably employed at one end of eachof the air bags, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal, sectional view Lu through a pressure relief valve preferably 1931. Serial No. 528,998.

employed at the other end of each of the collapsible airbags.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews. v

As illustrated diagrammaticallyin Fig. 1, I show at 10 a submergedv hull, having decks 11', 12 and 13 between. which air-bags 14, 15

and 16 are shown, it being understood that, for example, the airbag 14 illustrates as many similar bags as can be conveniently placed side by" side in the hull between the decks 11 and 12, and similarly for the air bags between the decks 12and 13 and between the deck 13 and the bottom of the'hull.

The bags are connected at one end as indicated at 17, 18 and 19 with air tubes or lines which may conveniently be connected with a pipe header 20, said header inturn being connected by another air tube or line 21 with a header 22 supplied with air under pressure from a pump 23 through a check valve 24, said pump being driven by any suitable power, for example an internal combustion engine 25, the header 22, pump 23 and engine 25 being indicated as carried byaboat 26 resting on the water in; which the hull 10 is submerged. The air line 21 is connected with the header 22 through a manually operable valve 27 by which air under pressure may be supplied to the. air line 21 and in turn to the air lines 17, 18 and 19 and so to the air bags 14,15 and 16 as desired. In addition to the air bags 14, 15, and 16, additional air bags may be secured to the hull above the. deck 11 as illustrated by the air bag 28, which is similar in construction to the airbags 14, 15 and 16and illustrates as many such air bags located above the may conveniently be used. A

' It will be understood that the air bags referred to may have any desired sizeand shape, depending upon the spaces inand purposes for which they are used. In practice I find it advantageous to use air bags of elongated form, since they fit into the available spaces in the hull to advantage, and are more easily handled than air bags of other form would be. The air bag 28 is illustrated as being provided with flat flexible bands 29, i 29 secured to the outer surface of the bag 28,

preferably deck 11. as i V dicated diagrammatically and provided at their lower ends with rings which are preferably of metal to facilitate securing the bands and bag to the hull 10 as indicated at 31. One end of the bag 28 carries a check valve as indicated diagrammatibe understood that all of the air bags employ-ed are preferably equipped with check valves and pressure relief valves as deaf scribed for the bag 28. The check valve in each case serves to retain in the corresponding bag, air that may have been pumpedinto it under pressure and the pressure relief valve serves to limitvthe air pressure produced in any bag to a predetermined amount, permltting excess air to escape fromthe bag through said valve, ifthe air pressure on the header 22 is in excess of the air pressure desired to be established in the air bag. In this way by'suitably set-ting the 1 pressure relief valves, a desired relation of'air pressures in the several air bags may be effected, and a corresponding relation betweeen the lifting eflects of the several air bags may be established. v

As a result of providing the airlines thus far described, with control valves 27 and 35, it willbe observed that a means is employed for establishing a desired relation between the lifting eflects of the airbags above the hull, and the lifting effect of the air bags in the hull, so that'for example, the tendency may be at all times to maintainthe hull in upright position during the raising'of the same, by producing sufhcient buoyant effect by means of the bags 28, to accomplish this result. 1

To furtherinsure maintaining the hull in upright position during the raisingof the same, I may employ additional devices as follows. At each'end of the hull and above the deck 11, I show a first cable drum 36 mounted on a shaft 3'Y-eXtending through supports 38,

. 38 which are conformed at their lower portionsto facilitate connecting fthemwith the hull'lO as indicated at.39, '39. .The shaft 37 extends into a gear box 40 carriedbyone of the supports? 38, 38 and from the gear box 40 a second shaft 41 extends to carry a secon'd cable drum 42, the drums being rigidly secured to the shafts carrying them; The gear homo contains inultiplyingfgears as and for a purpose to be described. The drum 36'has connected with it apluralityof cables 43 ex tending upwardly and secured at their upper ends to a floating tank 44". The drum 42 has secured to it a cable 45 extending upwardly and secured to an air 46 of the construc-.

tion above described for the other air bags employed in my'improved system; An' aii tube or line 47 extends from the bag 46 to a pipe header 48 from which header an air tube extends to .a manually operable valve 49 connected with the header 22. k A similar drum mechanism is'illustratedat the other end of the hull, similarly connected with a floating tank 5Q'and'an air bag.51, the air bag 51 being connected by an air tube or line-52 with the header 48. In using the devices last described, the bags 46 and 51 in collapsed condition are located immediately above the corresponding drums and connected with said drums by the cablesindicated, so thatthe cables are, wound on the drums and the air bags cannot move upwardly relatively to the hull without turning said drums; At'the same time, the cables from the other drums are in unwound condition asto said drums, and are sufficiently tight so that rotation of these drums will move the floating tanks downwardly and produce motion of them relatively to the hull 10. The gearing in the gear cases connects the drums of each set of controlling:mechanism, so 'thatrotation of either drum ispossible only when accompanied by rotation of the other drum reversely, as far as the winding eifectof-thecables is concerned. -That is to say, upward movef ment of the" air bags relatively to the hull, will produce rotationfof' the corresponding drums, and this rotation which is accom plished by unwinding'of'the corresponding cable's, produces rotation of the other drums in a direction to wind up their cables and thus move the tanks towards the hull. 5

7 Since the two sets ofcohtrolling mechanism illustrated, are fidentical, and each is preferably provided with the sameconstruction of gear box and gears therein, it is necessary to describe but one. of these gearbox constructions-for example the construction of the gear box 40, which, as shown in horizontal, sectional view and to an enlarged scale in Fig; 4, provides bearings for the shafts 37 and 41, which shafts have rigidly secured to them in the gear box, a pinion 53 and a gear 54 respectively. The shaft 41 has mounted on it-and freely 'revolvable thereon, a com-' the shaft 37, the pinion 58 of which meshes with the gear 54. From this constructiomit will be observed that the shafts 41 and 37 are connected so that for any'given amount' of rotation ofthe'shaft 41,-the shaft 37 is'rotated'a greateramount. With this construction, when the air bags46 and 51 are located in collapsed condition immediately above their cable drums, and the floating tanks 44 and'5O are connected withtheir drums as described. supplying air underpressure tothe bags 46 and 51yproduces' a corresponding buoyant eifect'and rotation of the'shafts 41,

which rotation is multiplied by the gearing described, and the greater .rotation of the other drums of the controlling mechanism, moves the tanks 44 and 50 downwardly a corresponding y greater amount relatively to the hull 10, than the air bags46 and 51 move upwardly relatively to" said hull. By suitably proportioning the air bags 46 and-51 and the floating tanks 44 and 50, any desired amount of buoyant effect may be produced, which is exerted onthe upper part of the hull, and by properly proportioning this buoyant effect relatively to the lifting effect of the air bags in the hull and secured to'its upper deck,

the hull will be maintained in upright position until the hull is brought to the surface of the water, or near enough to the surface so that it may be moved from one location to another to permit taking it to a suitable clock for repair. Thevalves 27, 35 and49 form a convenient means for establishing a desired relation between the buoyant effects of the controlling mechanisms described, and of the air bags in and above the main deck ofthe hull.

As shown in Fig. 3, my improved air bag construction consists of a flexible envelope 28a of suitable material impervious to air, for example fabric impregnated or coated with a rubber compound, which envelope is preferably of circular cross section and of any convenient diameter depending'upon the requirements of any particular case. The bands 29 are preferably flexible and may consist of suitable fabric secured to theouter surface of the envelope 2802 around itsupper half, the ends of each hand preferably extending loosely downwardly to substantially the lower part of the envelope where they are securely at' tached to devices for convenient connection with the fastenings to the hull, these devices,

for example, consisting of metal rings 30 as described. 5

In Fig. 5 I illustrate a construction of check valve 32vthat may be employed with the air bags, consisting ofan externally threaded tubular member 60 extending through the envelope 28a of the bag,preferably at one end, and held in place by washers 61, 61" which are pressed against the material of the envelope 280 by nuts 62, 62 threaded on said tubular member. The outer end of the tubular member is extended laterally to form a flange 63 having an externally threaded extension 64 coaxial with the tubular portion 60, and engaging internal threads in a metal housing65 containing. a valve member 66 held against its seat inside of the housing 65, by a spring 67, the spring 67 being 'sufliciently strong to hold the valve positively against its seat, but weak enough to permit the valve to yield readily under air pressure communicated to the outer end of the valve, to permit the air to pass into the envelope 28a without appreciable obstruction. The valve memunder pressure.

ber 66 carries a spider extension 68 which connection of an air tube or line to the check valve'to supply the envelope 28a with air 7 In this manner, air sups plied to'theenvelope28a is retained in it against back flow through the air line,i n

the event the pressure supplying the'air-line 5 drops below the pressure in theair bag for anyre-ason. v I

In Fig. 6 I illustratea form of pressure relief valve 33 that may be employed with my "air bag construction, consisting of anexter-" nally'threa'ded tubular member preferably through the end of the envelope 28a opposite to that carrying the check valve 32, the material of the envelope 28a being tightly held between washers .71, 71 by nuts 72, 72 threaded on said tubular member. Outside the envelope 2864, the tubular member 70 extends laterally to form a housing 73 containing a valve member 74 pressing against a suitable seat in said housing. The outer end of the housing 73 is externally threaded to re ceive a correspondingly threaded extension from a disk 74a, which disk is internally threaded to engage corresponding external threads on a sleeve 75. The bore of the sleeve 75 receives with a sliding'fit, the stem 7 6 of the valve member 74, to hold said valve mem- 70 extending position in the disk 74a by a' sion of the spring, the sleeve 7 5 may be locked bythe nut 78, to maintain any desired-adjustment of the spring, and the valve member 74 ma y'thus be set to open for any desired air pressure in the envelope 28a. 73 is provided with vent openings 79,79 to permit air'passing through thevalve to escape from the housing? 3. Inthis manner I provide a convenienticonstruction for limiting The housing 5 the air-pressure in each of the air bags to a predeterminedamount, so that on the one hand the airbag may not be subjected to an alr pressure greater than it is able to safely withstand, and onthe other hand the .air

pressure may be limitedtoa. desiredv amount relatively to the air pressures desired to be used in others of the air bags, according to the requirements of any 'aarticular. case and the relative location of theseveral air bags.

"In Fig. 2 I illustrate another use to which 7 my improved air bag construction may be put, consisting of forming'a temporary closure for a hole formed by accident in a hull.

Asillustrated in this figure, I show a hull 10a 2,3

, having a'hole 80 therein, through which hole I an air bag 28?) may bepassed in collapsed condition, from the inside of the hull,after which the air bag may be inflated by supplying it. with air under pressure through an air tube or line 81 from any convenient pumping mechanism. In this case, the checkvalve of the air bag is located at 82 and the pressure relief valve ofthe air bag is located at 83 I venting air flow therefrom,

' 48 valves carried by saidbags for-llmitmgair outside of the hull, these valves being preferably'of the construction above described. For this use, 1 preferably provide the air bag with transverse partitions 84 of flexible Inaterial impervious to air under pressure, these partitions being provlded wlth pressure limiting valves 85 preferably of the construction above described, which pressure limiting valves are preferably adjusted for air pres sures in the compartments between the partitions 8Q successively' greater from end to end of the air bag, to insure thatthe air bag shall be filled with air under pressure determined by the outermost pressure limiting valve that is effective at any timein retaining air under pressure in the air bag. Inthis manner, if the outermost compartment of the air bag is torn, the nextpressure limiting valve operates to maintain the air bag in infiated condition, and so on for the others of the pressure limiting valves.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that I (lo-not limit myself to this exact construction as I may'employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing fromthe scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a system for raising submerged hulls,

the combination of collapsible air bags for location in and upon and connection toa hull to be raised, check valves carried by said bags permitting air-flow into the same and prepressure relief pressure in said bags to predetermined amounts, devices for connection with said hull tomamtam the same in upright position during its raising, air lines extending from 'under pressureto' said submerged bag;

r 2. In a system for raising submerged hulls,

the combination of collapsible air bags the combination of collapsible air bags for location inand upon find connection toia hull to be raised, check valves carriedbysaid bags permitting air'flow'into the same and pr eventing air flow therefrom, pressure relief valvescarried by said bagsfor limiting air pressure in said bags to predetermined amounts, devices for-connection with said hull to maintain the same in upright position during its raising, air lines extending from said check valves, and pumping mechanism for forcing air under pre ssure through said air lines and said'check valves into said bags,

said devices comprisinga floating tank, a submerged collapsible" mechanism connected withthe upper part of said: l1ull, ;cables extending: from said tank and [said1 submerged bag in opposedrelation to said cable guiding mechanism, whereby upward movement of said submerged bag relatively to said hull produces downward movement of said tank relatively to said hull,

and} an air line extending from said'submerged bagto saidpumping mechanism to supply air under pressure to said submerged bag, said submerged bag having a check valve in its air line and also apressure reliefvalve limiting air pressure therein toa predetermined amount[ 7 V V Ina systemtfor raising submerged hulls, for, location in and upon and connection toa hull to be raised, check valves carried by said bags permitting air flow into the same and preventing air fiow therefrom, pressure relief valves carried by said bags for limiting air pressure in said bags to U predetermined amounts, devices -for;connection with said during its. raising, airlines extending from said check valves, and pumping mechanism vfor forcing 'air'under pressure through .said air lines and said check said devicescomprising a, floating tank, a submerged collapsible air mechanism connected with the upper part of said hull, cables extending fromsaid tank and said submerged'bag in opposed 'rela: tion to said cable guiding mechanism,whereby upwardmovementof said submerged bag relatively to said'hull produces downward movement of sa'idtank relatively to said hull, and an air line extending from said submerged bag' to said 7 pumping mechanism to supply air under pressure to said submerged bag, said cable guiding mecha'nism comprising separate cable drums and multiplying gearing connecting said drums, whereby said relative movement of said submerged bag may be less thansaid relative movement of f said-tank." 1 v 4:. An air bag'for the purposes shown and described, consisting ofthe combination of an elongated flexible envelopeof. air iin-. pervious material, flexible flat bands extends air bag, cable guiding bag, cable guiding hull to maintain the same in upright position valves into said bags,

ing around said envelope and secured thereto to facilitate securing said envelope to a hull, and a flexible partition of air impervious material extending laterally across the interior of said envelope and dividing its interior into compartments.

' 5. An air bag for the purposes shown and described, consisting of the combination of an elongated flexible envelope of air impervious material, a check valve connected with said envelope and comprising an air supply passage therefor, a pressure relief valve connected with said envelope for limiting air pressure in said envelope, a flexible partition of air impervious material extending laterally across the interior of said envelope and dividing its interior into compartments, and another pressure relief valve carried by said partition, said partition extending across said envelope interior between said check valve and said first mentioned" pressure limiting valve.

' 6. In a system for raising submerged hulls, controlling devices comprising a floating tank, a submerged collapsible'air bag, cable guiding, mechanism connected with the upper part of said hull, cables extending from said tank and said submerged bag in-opposed relation to said cable guiding mechanism, wheremultiplying gearing connecting said drums, whereby said relative movement of said submerged bag may be less than said relative movementof said tank. I 9. In a system for raising submerged hulls, controlling devices comprising a floating tank, a submerged collapsible air bag, cable guiding mechanism connected with the upper part of said hull, cablesextending from said i tank and said submerged bag inopposed rela tion to said cable guiding mechanism, where-' by upward movement of said submerged bag relatively to said hull produces downward movement of said tank relatively to said hull, and an air line extending from said sub merged bag to supplyair under pressure to said submerged bag, said cable guiding mechanism comprising separate cable drums, and multiplying gearing connecting said drums, whereby said relative movement of said submerged bag may be less than said relative movement of said tank, said submerged bag having a check valve in its air line and also a pressure relief valve limiting air pressure therein to a predetermined amount.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of April, A. D. 1931. SEBASTIAN SCHWAGER.

by upward movement of said submerged bag relatively to said hull'produces downward movement of said tank relatively to I said hull, and an air line extending from said submerged bag to supply air under pressure to said submerged bag.

7. In a system for raising submerged hulls controlling devices comprising a floating tank, asubmerged collapsible air bag, cable guiding mechanism connected with the upper part of said hull, cables extending from said tank and said submerged bag in opposed rela tion to said cable guiding mechanism, where- V by upward movement of said submerged ba relatively to said hull produces doWnWar movement of said tank relatively to said hull, and an air line extending from said submerged bag to supply air under pressure to said submerged bag, said submerged bag having a check valve in its air line and also a pressure relief valve limiting air pressure therein to a predetermined amount.

8. In a system for raising submerged hulls, controlling devices comprising a floating tank, a submerged collapsible air bag, cable guiding mechanism connected with the upper part of said hull, cables extending from said tank and said submerged bag in opposed relation to said cable guiding mechanism, whereby upward movement of said submergedbag' relatively to said hull produces downward movement of said tank relatively to said hull, and an air line extending from said submerged bag to supply air under pressure to said submerged bag, said cable guiding-mechanism comprising separate cable drums and 

